Book marker

ABSTRACT

A bookmarker adapted to be removably secured between the pages of a book and having a flexible marker arm to which is affixed to the end thereof an extension member carrying indicia for indicating a sequential order and an indicator which can be positionally set to indicate or to direct attention to the left or right opened page of the book.

United States Patent 1 Hernon [11] 3,744,447 1 July 10,1973

1 1 BOOK MARKER [76] Inventor: Lon Hernon, 7736 N.Eastlake Terrace, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Aug. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 278,546

[51] Int. Cl. .9. 342d 9/00 [58] Field of Search....; 116/119, 133; 281/42 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,031 5/1921' Abbott 116/119 1,497,955 6/1924 Stevens 116/119 2,150,953 3/1939 Washbum 116/119 2,177,348 10/1939 Abbott 116/119 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 446,849 5/1936 Great Britain 116/119 Primary ExaminrLouis J Capozi Attorney-Jack E. Dominik, Basil E. Demeur et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A bookmarker adapted to be removably secured between the pages of a book and having a flexible marker arm to which is afi'ixed to the end thereof an extension member carrying indicia for indicating a sequential order and an indicator which can be positionally set to indicate or to directattention to the left or right opened page of the book.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures BOOK MARKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in book I markers. 1

The presentinvention is particularly related to an improvement in book markers of the type disclosed in US. Pats. Nos. 1,380,031 and 2,177,348. Thebook markers of these prior patents are particularly designed for and adapted to be used with the Holy Bible, and such guides used in the study thereof as that work which is known as Christian Science and Health used by Christian Scientists. In this latter work, several correlated portions of the book can be arranged in such a manner so that when read consecutively they form what might be termed a more'or less complete exposition of a particular subject.

The subject book markers are ideal for arranging these correlated portions of the book, and have support 7 tabs with numerals or letters on them which permit reference to be made to the page or pages upon which the correlated portions appearsothat they may be easily and quickly referred to in the desiredsequence or order. When the book is opened to the desired pages, the particular passage of interest may be on either the left -or the right page of the book. The subject book markers'fail to indicate to or advise the reader on which of the two opened pages or the book the particular portion to which referenceis desired to be made is found. Considerable time, therefore, can 'be spentin simply determining upon which of these two pages the desired portion of the book is'locatedQDoing 70, of course, de-

tracts from the reading ofthe correlated portions of the again to the preceding portion in order to retain the continuity of thought.

The book markers of the present invention can be of generally the same construction as the book markers disclosed in the above-identified patents, however, they are improved by affixing onthe ends of the flexible marker arms an extension member which has an indicator rotatably secured therein so that the indicator can be positionallyset to indicate to the reader that the desiredpassage is located on the left or right open page. The book markers, therefore, provide all of the advantages of the book markers disclosed in the aboveidentified patents, and provide the additional feature of indicating to the reader the one of the two opened pages of the book which has the desired portion or passage on,it, so that the reader can easily and quickly lo- 'cate the passage, without due hesitation orinterruption.

Accordingly,,it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved marker.

More particularly, it isan object to provide an improved book marker having 'means thereon for indicatbe obvious 'ing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a book having markers therein exemplary of the invention;

book, so that many times it is necessary to refer back present invention affixed to the end thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partially sectionalized, of the marker arm of FIG. 2, with the extension affixed thereto;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the extension which is affixed to the end of the marker arm, prior to the same being folded and affixed to the end of the marker arm;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line's/5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines'6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rotatable disc member, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a side plan view of a tool which can be used to rotatably position the disc indicator member in the extension of the marker; and H FIG. 10 is a perspective-view of a disc member, constructed in accordance-with another embodiment of the invention. v

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE Referring now to the'drawings, in FIG. I there is illustrated abook l0 having'oppositely positioned front and rear covers 11 and 12, connected at rear portions'by an integral back 14, while between the covers 11 and 12 are positioned the usual pages 15. An elongated strip 20 of suitable material is provided at its opposite ends with laterally and reversely curved portions 21 so that it may be slid longitudinally from the outer free edge to the rearmost portion of each of the covers 11 and 12 of the book. The strips 20 also are provided upon their looped portions with terminating means 22, for receiving ,thereabout a resilient member 23 such as a coiled spring or rubber band.

When a given portion of the book is to be marked for instantly relocating the same, one of the marker units 25 is placed between the pages. These marker units 25 each comprise an elongated flexible strip 26 of very thin material, the ends of which are provided with an inverted U-shaped recess 27 adapted to receive and partially surround one of the side portions of the resilient member 23, to secure the strip 26 to the resilient member and between the pages of the book.

Each of the flexible strips 26 further is provided at a predetermined position between its end portions with a very thin flexible marker arm 30. These marker arms 30 are hingedly affixed to the strip 26 and extend laterally outwardly toward the free edge portions of the pages of'the book when the marker as a whole is innormal operative position. The faces of the outer end portion of each of themarker arms 30 are covered by 'an extension 32 in the form of a folded section of metal comprising oppositely positioned side portions 33and 34. The side portion 34 is provided near its free end with oppositely positioned cutout portions 35 and 36, and at the extreme end of the side portion 33 there are provided oppositely extending arms 37 and 38. The extensions 32 are afflxed to the marker arm 30 by placing the end of the latter atop the side portion 33 and then folding the side portion 34 about the hinge portion 39 atop the end of the marker arm 30. Thereafter, the ears or arms 37 and 38 are bent in opposite directions and then towards each other around the adjacent portion of the marker arm or side portion 34, and terminating in the cutout portions 35 and 36, and with then oppositely exposed surfaces flush with the corresponding surface of the side portion 34. The extensions 32 may be positively secured in their desired position by means of a small rivet or the like (not shown) extended through the extension and the marker arm.

One or both sides of the extensions 32 affixed to the marker arms 30 may be provided with numerals, letters or suitable indica, such, for instance, as the numbers illustrated, for the purpose of indicating the sequence with which the portions of the reading matter of the book are to be located.

In accordance with the present invention, the ends of the marker arms 30 are provided with an indicator marker 40 which can be set to indicate to the reader the one of the two pages to which the book is opened using the marker arm 30 upon which the desired portion of the book is located. Each of these indicator markers 40 is in the form of a small circular-shaped disc which has an indicator such as the arrowhead 41 provided on each of its opposite sides and which is rotatably secured with the marker arm 30, so that it can be turned to opposite directions to indicate the right or left page in the book. For example, as seen in FIG. 2, thearrowhead 41 is rotatably' positioned to indicate that the desired portion or passage in the book is located on the left page in the book, assuming that as illustrated, the book is opened andthe marker arm 30 extends across the right page. If the book is open and the marker arm'30 extends across the left page, the arrowhead 41, of course, is positioned on the indicator or disc 40 such that it again points to and indicates that the desired portion or passage of the book is located on the left page.

These arrowheads 41 can be painted, printed or otherwise formed on them, preferably in a color which is bright and easily distinguishable by anyone using the markers. Alternatively, these arrowheads 41 can be raised on or recessed into the surface of the indicator or disc 40,as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively. While arrowheads 41 ofa specific shape are illustrated, it will be appreciated that other arrowhead shapes can be used, as well as other forms or types of indicators which will direct the user's attention to either the left or right page of the book, when properly positioned.

The indicators or discs 40 can be rotatably secured to the marker arms 30 by forming, as by stamping, a recessed cavity 44 of substantially the same diameter of the indicator and approximately one-quarter its thickness in each side portion 33 and 34 of the extension 32, as can be best seen in FIGS. 4-6, in which the indicator or disc 40 can be positioned and frictionally retained therein against free rotation. An aperture 45 is formed in each side portion also, axially and concentrically located with respect to the cavities 44, so that the indicators or discs 40 can be seen. These cavities 44 and apertures 45 can be formed in the extensions 32 prior to folding the same, as illustrated in FIG. 4, so that the indicator or disc 40 can be placed in one of the recessed cavities 44 and then the other side portion of the extension 32 folded over atop of it to both secure the extension 32 to the marker arm 30 and to secure the indicator or disc 40 in position.

.The indicators or discs 40 are frictionally secured against free rotation, but can be'rotated by gripping them between, for example, the thumb and forefinger and exerting a rotational movement to them. Alternatively, the indicators or discs 40 can be provided with spaced apart apertures 47 which are adapted to receive the two spaced apart studs 51 on a tool 50, the type illustrated in FIG. 9, for rotating them; The tool 50 has a head portion 52 upon which the studs 51 are affixed and an upstanding shaft 53 which can be gripped by the fingers for manipulating it.

Accordingly, from the above description, it can be seen that the marker arms 30 can be removably secured within a book 10 to mark each of the individual portions thereof which are to be read in a predetermined sequence, in accordance with a lesson plan or the like. These individual passages or portions of the book are read in a sequentialorder, and appropriate numerals or letters or the like are provided on the end of the extensions 32 on the marker arms 30,-for indicating the sequence. While in this respect, the marker 1 arms are of generally the same construction as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. patents, the marker arms 30 are further improved by means of the indicators 40, for indicating to the reader the one of the two opened pages upon which the desired passage or portions of the book appears. As the markers arebeing placed in the book in the above-described fashion, the indicators 40 are set by rotating them, using the fingers or a'tool such as the tool 50 illustrated in FIG. 9, to indicate to the reader that the passage appears on the left or the right page which is opened to him. Accordingly, thereafter, in reading the entire lesson in the proper sequential order, as the reader grasps the ends of each of the marker arms 30 to open the book to the proper pages, the reader simultaneously can observe the position of the indicators 40 and will know immediately upon opening the book that the desired passage is on the left or right page when the book is opened. In this fashion, the desired portion or passage of the book can be easily and quickly located, without interrupting the chain of thought or in breaking the continuity of the reading of the lesson.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and certain changes may be made in the above article. Accordingly, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a book marker to indicate the proper passages for reading on the left or right hand pages of an open book when in use,.including a pair of members having folded portions adapted to removably secure .the same to the covers of a book, resilient members supported by and between said pair of members, a cross member removably supported by and between said resilient members, and a flexible marker arm extending laterally outwardly from said cross member and hingedly connected thereto and having an opposed free end, the improvement comprising, in combination,

an extension member fixedly secured to the free end of the flexible marker arm, indicator means secured to said extension member,

said indicator means including marker indicia positioned thereon and disposed out of plane of said extension member, and said marker idicia being rotatably and frictionally secured to said indicator means thereby to permit locking of said marker indicia to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book. 4 2. The book marker assembly as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said indicator means comprises a rotatable disc mounted on said extension member and said marker indicia comprises an arrow member recessed in said rotable disc and frictionally secured therein thereby to permit the locking of said rotatable arrow member to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book a 3. The book marke device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said indicator means comprises a disc, rotatably secured within said extension member and said marker indicia comprises an arrow member carried on said disc, thereby to permit locking of said arrow member to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book.

4. The book marker device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said marker indicia is positioned on and disposed out of the plane of said extension member, thereby to permit the application of manual rotational movement for rotating and setting said marker indicia to the desired set position. 

1. In a book marker to indicate the proper passages for reading on the left or right hand pages of an open book when in use, including a pair of members having folded portions adapted to removably secure the same to the covers of a book, resilient members supported by and between said pair of members, a cross member removably supported by and between said resilient members, and a flexible marker arm extending laterally outwardly from said cross member and hingedly connected thereto and having an opposed free end, the improvement comprising, in combination, an extension member fixedly secured to the free end of the flexible marker arm, indicator means secured to said extension member, said indicator means including marker indicia positioned thereon and disposed out of plane of said extension member, and said marker idicia being rotatably and frictionally secured to said indicator means thereby to permit locking of said marker indicia to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book.
 2. The book marker assembly as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said indicator means comprises a rotatable disc mounted on said extension member and said marker indicia comprises an arrow member recessed in said rotable disc and frictionally secured therein thereby to permit the locking of said rotatable arrow member to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book.
 3. The book marke device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said indicator means comprises a disc, rotatably secured within said extension member and said marker indicia comprises an arrow member carried on said disc, thereby to permit locking of said arrow member to the desired set position for indicating the proper page and passage of an open book.
 4. The book marker device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said marker indicia is positioned on and disposed out of the plane of said extension member, thereby to permit the application of manual rotational movement for rotating and setting said marker indicia to the desired set position. 